There are a number of daily supplement or pharmaceutical agents, directed to the prevention or treatment of an assortment of medical issues. For example, it is well known that aspirin reduces the risk of heat disease and stroke and that a regular dose of anticoagulants and antiplatelets help to maintain a healthy concentration level of blood in the arteries. Other pharmaceuticals taken on a regular basis may include ace inhibitors, cholesterol and lipid reducing agents, and metabolism regulatory agents. The supplements or pharmaceutical agents can be administered using a variety of methods. The most popular and widely used method for daily intake of the pharmaceutical agent is to ingest a pill, tablet, or capsule containing the beneficial agent with a fluid to help dissolve the pill.
For those who have difficulty swallowing pills, however, such as in the case of infants, elderly persons, paralyzed persons, or severely injured persons, a variety of methods have been used, for example, pills or powdered medications crushed and mixed with food, such as apple sauce, covered spoon devices, medicated straws, and the like. A medicated delivery straw, as in U.S. Pat. No. 5,718,681, allows the dry medication to be loaded in a delivery tube, dissolved by the fluid taken into the tube, and ingested. U.S. Pat. No. 5,921,955 teaches a bottle or vessel having a retention pocket to hold one or more beneficial agents in the form of granulations or capsules therein so that when liquid flows over the retention pocket, the beneficial agent is released into the liquid and ingested.
Hot liquid herbal tea beverages have also been used for centuries to treat a variety of ailments. These beverages are typically prepared by brewing the leaves, stems, or roots of plants known to contain therapeutically active compounds. For example, menthol derived from peppermint leaves and ephedrine from Ma Huang/ephedra plants have been used as decongestants. Sennosides A and B derived from senna leaves have been used as laxatives. The brew produced from these plants, however, is often foul tasting and offensive to the drinker. Furthermore, the delivery of the active ingredient is imprecise because the active ingredient must be leached from the plant material, which can lead to under- or over-dosing of the active ingredient.
Although these herbal tea beverages are used around the world for their therapeutic effects, lack of dosage uniformity has typically made this method unsuitable for use as a regulated pharmaceutical preparation. Without wishing to be bound by any particular theory, when combining a pharmaceutical agent with tea leaves, a portion of the active ingredient may be absorbed or adsorbed by the tea leaves prior to steeping the tea, affecting the potency of the pharmaceutical agent.
Powdered pharmaceutical preparations containing active ingredients, sweeteners and flavors, which are dissolved in hot water and consumed as a hot liquid medication, are commercially available. These products typically contain acetaminophen, chlorpheniramine maleate, pseudophendrine hydrochloride, and dextromethorphan hydrobromide and are used to provide temporary relief of the symptoms typically associated with the cold and flu. Since the active ingredient is in powdered form that dissolves in hot water, the dosing problems associated with herbal teas are obviated. These hot liquid medications have, however, found limited acceptance in the marketplace because they often have an artificial taste.
Despite these developments, there remains a need for a palatable, easy method for administering medications in proper dosage amounts for those who prefer not to or are not able to swallow a pill. In particular, there is a need for a medicated coating on a filter bag able to deliver at least one pharmaceutical active, supplemental nutrient, or other beneficial agent.